Many degree programs with NC - Hamburg universities with the most admission restrictions
In no other federal state do as many study programs have access restrictions as in Hamburg. Approximately two out of three study programs are restricted in the upcoming winter semester, according to a study by the Center for Higher Education Development in Gütersloh.
Hamburg was able to lower its NC quota slightly over the previous year, by 0.4 percentage points, to 62.4 percent. However, this is still significantly above the federal average of 35.2 percent. The second highest NC quota was found in Berlin, at 55.3 percent, while the lowest was in Thüringen, at 19.2 percent.
Universities respond to applicant numbers that exceed the number of available study places with admission restrictions. A fixed number of study places are then allocated according to various criteria, including the Abitur note. The Center for Higher Education Development is a subsidiary of the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Rectors' Conference.
Particularly high NC quotas in Math and Natural Sciences
The NC quota in Hamburg is particularly high in Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Although it decreased by 5.5 percentage points compared to the previous year, it still stands at 70.2 percent. In contrast, less than half of the study places in the fields of Social Sciences and Humanities (42.3 percent), Languages and Cultural Sciences (43.3 percent), and Engineering Sciences (49.5 percent) are restricted.
At Hamburg's universities, the proportion of restricted study programs even increased by 2.7 percentage points to 75.5 percent. The proportion of restricted Master's programs increased by 1.9 percentage points to 64.7 percent. However, the proportion of restricted Bachelor's programs decreased by 3.2 percentage points to 58.9 percent.
Number of restricted study programs declining nationwide
The proportion of restricted study programs has been declining nationwide for years, according to Study Director Cort-Denis Hachmeister. "This can largely be attributed to the decline in first-semester enrollments and the simultaneous expansion of study programs."
Prospects for study applicants for a place in their desired field are currently better than ever before. Even in the nationally restricted fields such as, for example, Medicine, the ratio of applicants to study places has significantly improved. On average, there are 2.8 applicants for each study place in the fields of Pharmacy, Human-, Animal- or Dental Medicine.
- The study by the Center for Higher Education Development in Gütersloh also revealed that North Rhine-Westphalia, unlike other federal states, has a moderate number of study programs with access restrictions.
- Interested students in Gütersloh might consider moving to Thuringia, as it has the lowest NC quota among all federal states, making it easier to gain entry into most study programs.
- Despite Hamburg's reputation for access restrictions, universities in Berlin also implement admission restrictions, as their NC quota ranks second highest among all federated states at 55.3 percent.
- The Center for Higher Education Development in Gütersloh offers valuable insights into the various provisions in place across different universities, helping to inform prospective students' study place decisions.
- While some universities in North Rhine-Westphalia may have restricted study programs, the overall trend of declining access restrictions nationwide offers encouraging news for students seeking to pursue their desired study programs in Germany.
